Today’s spotlight is on Renee, also known as “The Domestic Scientist” and her delightfully geeky projects. From dice games, to video games, to card games, to geek icons, she takes her crafting inspiration from the geek world! (Some links to some of Dot’s favorites at the bottom, and check out these pics on flickr!)
1) So, first off, the easy stuff… In 5 sentences or less, who are you, what do you do, how long have you been doing it?
Basically I’m a geeky mom that gets bored easily. Since I like working with my hands and love learning new things, crafting just seemed natural. I also like to make people laugh, so stories about my weird little kid often show up on the site, along with ways I incorporate my nerd heritage into our family. As for how long I’ve been doing this- the mom gig for two years, and the crafting for one.2) You have some great stuff… How did you get into creating your clever geek ware?
I wanted to learn how to cross stitch to make my mother a piece that said “Be excellent to each other” (a quote from “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure”) since she said that to my sister and I a lot when we were fighting as teens. When looking for fun cross stitch patterns on the internet, I stumbled across Sprite Stitch. It was like a switch flipped in my brain. Oh, the possibilities! I used Johloh’s (the creator of Sprite Stitch) patterns to teach myself how to stitch. But then I would think of other things that wouldn’t work in cross stitch, so I taught myself how to crochet, knit, and sew after that, so I could cover all my bases.
3) So, what’s your favorite creation?The Space Invaders guitar strap (http://www.thedomesticscientist.com/2008/07/25/space-invaders-rawk/), hands down. I love just love the colors on it AND it’s functional! Function rocks.
4) You’ve been published in gamer magazines right? Are you now the idol of all gamer geeks everywhere?
Yup, Nintendo Power published me. That magazine has a real love for geeky crafters. They also published Cassie from the Mario Scarf Blog and Johloh from Sprite Stitch. I got a lot of requests for the Guitar Hero scarf pattern after that was published. As for an idol? I wouldn’t go that far. I think Cassie and Johloh are of idol status, but not me, yet. I am trying to build my readership, though, and appreciate anyone that comes by!
5) Do you just do this for fun, or do you sell your stuff?
I just do it for fun, mostly. I tend to give away most of my stuff as gifts, but the leftovers usually end up on Etsy. Right now, though, the only things left in my Etsy shop are some dice bags. I really need to get on that….
6) Why did you start your blog?
I started my blog mostly to keep connected with the outside world. I was having a hard time transitioning to being a stay at home mom in the middle of NOWHERE and needed mental stimulation and adult interaction. The blog has definitely taken on a life of it’s own and I’m happy to have met so many wonderful people from around the globe because of it!7) Anything else you want to add?
As soon as life calms down, I’m going to be doing a full overhaul on the site. I’ll be adding a forum, concentrating the post topics (and hopefully posting more often!) and in general making the site more domestic-ey and science-ey.
Wow, we can’t wait! Thanks for sharing, Renee, and for all the great inspiration! We here in Dabbled upper management always love a geeky project, and are looking forward to seeing what you do next! Be sure to check in when your overhaul is complete…
Visit The Domestic Scientist blog!
Some Dot Picks:
Related: Geeky Cakes
More Dabbled Interviews, including Jennifer Nakatsu Arntson – (Vinyl Designer), Dave Gugel (Halloween), Naomi Henderson (Cupcakes), Cory Godbey (Author/Artist), Shannon Riffe (Silkscreening Entrepreneur), Diana Evans (Artist), & Diane Gilleland (Crafter Extraordinaire)